Wii U Firmware Update Now Available

Update: According to Nintendo's website the update (version 2.1.0 U) further improves system stability and causes other minor adjustments to enhance the user experience

A new firmware update is now available for download onto your Wii U.

The update has just become available and comes in at a size of 593 megabytes. Once our updates have finished installing, we will be able to report on what exactly it contains.The update, given its size, may finally unlock Nintendo TVii functionality.

Check back with Nintendo World Report for more information on this Wii U firmware update.

I want to lean towards the stealth TVii Update being activated during tomorrows N Direct,

Didn't Nintendo do that previously with something on the 3DS?

Makes sense to not overload the servers with everyone trying to download and use the update the moment its officially announced, by getting a chunk of the downloads out of the way tonite and beat the rush.

1. TVii service is ALREADY on the Wii U. We just have to wait it's activated SERVER SIDE, so it's no use thinking that this update could have enabled it.

2. Hard lock when using external drives are not caused by lack of compatibility, but lack of information from Nintendo. You have to use external HDDs WITH DEDICATED POWER SUPPLY. The Wii U is capable of powering external HDDs through the USB cable only in few occasions. If you have an external USB 3.0 HDD it probably won't work and/or hard lock the console. Some USB 2.0 external HDDs powered though USB cable can work, better if they use a Y-cable to drain power from TWO USB ports. But to be sure, I'd go with an external power supply for the HDD. I'm using an old 80GB USB 2.0 HDD powered through a Y-cable at the moment and it works fine, but I think I'll buy a 1TB HDD with dedicated power soon.

You can send messages to friends from the friends list. As for the update, its fixed a problem I've had with my harddrive. I have a 1TB USB 3.0 dedicated power external that, once the system is booted and I'm logged in, wouldn't immediately recognize the drive. I would have to go to system settings and then just back out to the main menu and all my digital games and drive are there. This caused many problems before because if I didn't ''manually'' get the drive to be recognized, any disc games I played would be missing saves or start from very old ones. Now once I log in, its instantly recognized and all my stuff is present.

Still not seeing it. Do they have to be online? Don't see it on MiiVerse profiles, either. Lame.

Other gripes: MiiVerse closes if you press the home button.

If you press a game pic on the eShop front page you are taken to a list populated by just that game rather than the game info page. WTF? The list thing makes sense for categories and actual lists, but come on.

Honestly I don't remember what the messages tab looked like before I'd sent any messages. It's easy to send messages there, but the message sending process could be a lot more useful if it were possible in more places. Places that make sense.

do: 1.In Miiverse task-bar, choose "Messages." 2.A list containing your friends will be shown. 3.Press the arrow button next to the friend you want to send a message to. 4.This will show your messaging history with that specific friend. 5.Press "Write Message" in the bottom-right cornerto write a message to that friend.

No I'm not "trolling" at all. Just stating the fact that you CANNOT send a message from the friends list. I see people bringing up Miiverse and its message tab, but that is not the friends list. Why I have to say this *again* is beyond me.

There are lots of things that could and should have been made simpler and more sensible. Sending a message is one of the examples I gave. People wanna get all huffy about it that's their problem.